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Published: March 6th 2008
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Hello everyone- just going to try and get a quick update in while I’ve got the chance. Its amazing how fast things happen and how much accumulates over just a few days. I know I’ve only been gone from Queenstown just over a week, but it seems so much longer!!
Anyway, after leaving Kaikoura, I took the bus North, through Nelson, eventually ending up in a “town” called Marahau. Not really a town as much as it was just a strip of a few buildings and a couple of places that barely passed as hostels… I had booked a 2-day kayaking trip through Abel Tasman National Park, and Marahau was the launching point for the expedition. I spent the first night there at a place called the Park Café, where it was Locals’ Open Mic Night. Very entertaining, to say the least. The band was average, the lead singer was mediocre, and their taste in music was lacking. Everyone was really into it though, just having a good time. At least the beer was cold… It was an early night for me though, as I had to be up at 7am to be picked up by the kayaking company.
The
Cruising through Abel Tasman
Named after the Dutch explorer that landed in this region of New Zealand. Famous for is wildlife, prisitne beaches, hiking track, and pliable waters... first day on the kayaks was great- beautiful weather, an “exhilarating” water taxi ride to the top of the park, relatively calm waters for paddling, got to see heaps of wildlife (Sea birds, seals, dolphin, sting rays, etc.), even rafted our kayaks together and managed to set sail on the open sea for awhile. Abel Tasman park is famous for is Coastal Walking track, its plethora of wildlife, and inst numerous beaches and coves that are only accessible by boat. Hence the advantage of being in a kayak… We spent the day exploring the coast, ducking into little coves and beaches along the way, paddling around seal colonies and marveling at the scenery. It was pretty amazing. We paddled for about 4.5 hours before arriving at Onetahuti Beach, which was going to be our campsite for the night. We set up camp, and then had time to walk around the beach and explore the area we were camping in. Sam, our guide, displayed his culinary skill by whipping up an incredible dinner of fettuccini and some sort of coconut chicken curry with heaps of fresh vegetables- just what the group needed after a long day out on the water. We
Sam gives the Saftey Speech...
Bottom line- dont flip over... sat around and chatted for awhile after dinner, and turned in an hour or so after it got dark. We knew it was going to be an early morning and that we had a big day in front of us. Little did we know what we had in store…
It started sprinkling on and off throughout the night, but nothing serious- I just thought it was a few passing clouds, as is typical in NZ. The real rain came at 7am, awakening us from our slumber with heavy drops pounding off the plastic tarps over our tents. I rolled over, thought it would stop in a bit, and tried to go back to sleep. It didn’t stop. I didn’t go back to sleep, either. We huddled in our tents, trying to stay warm and dry, until Sam starting making breakfast noise around 10am. He coaxed us out with promises of hot coffee and tea, a warm breakfast, and better weather as the day progressed. Well, he delivered on the first two… It rained, properly, ALL DAY. We all sat around the dining table, waiting for it to let up, and it just never did. Finally, decision time came, and
we had to choose between getting a water taxi to take us back, or going out in the rain, breaking camp, stowing all the gear back in the kayaks, and heading back out onto the water. Being that we had all already paid and weren’t getting any sort of a refund, out into the kayaks was the unanimous decision. We took down the tents, stuffed them back in their sacks as best we could, crammed everything back into our boats, and then headed out. It was actually quite nice at first- the bay was very calm, and the rain wasn’t as annoying as we thought it would be. It was very quiet, with only the sounds of the raindrops falling and our paddles cutting through the water. Not so bad… For awhile. After about an hour of this, most of the group was ready to just get somewhere warm and dry, have another cup of tea, and leave the rain outside. The trouble was that Anchorage- the destination for the second day- was still two hours away. We steeled our nerves, set our hands, and paddled into the teeth of the rain. Nothing frantic or haphazard- just a methodical rhythm
that took us closer to dry with every stroke. We finally arrived at the beach, pulled our kayaks out of reach of the surf, and hustled into the main hut, only to find it already PACKED with trampers trying to get out of the rain as well. What a mess. Wet trekking gear, muddy boots, dirty clothes, smelly socks- all hanging everywhere. Mud tracked in all over the floors of the huts- it was quite a scene. Luckily, we managed to secure a table to set up lunch, had a few soggy sandwiches, and then waited for the water taxis to come pick up the rest of the group. They were all headed back to Marahau, while I was booked at this place called Aquapackers- a floating hostel in Anchorage Bay. I had planned to spend the night there and then hike the 3.5 hours out of the park on the third day. I was just excited to have a hot shower and a dry bed, and to not have to stay in the muddy hut. That would’ve been miserable. The taxis finally arrived, we loaded up all the gear and the kayaks, and then they all took off and
headed back to the base. Chris, the owner of the floating hostel, came and picked me up off the beach in his inflatable, and I was glad to be out of the mess for awhile. It was a quiet night on Aquapackers- the rain had caused several people to cancel their bookings- and I spent the evening chatting with a newlywed couple from Wellington and a retired couple from Calgary. Got a good night’s sleep, and was ready for the hike out the next day.
Luckily, the weather blew out that night, and it was relatively clear for my hike. It wasn’t too hot either, which was nice. It was a fairly easy hike out of the park along the Coastal Track- lots of little bays and inlets to explore, along with all of the beaches. I made it back to Marahau in about 3.5 hours, hopped the 3 o’clock bus back to Nelson, spent the night in Nelson, and then was off to the Inter-Islander Ferry for transport to the North Island the next morning. Another cloudy, windy day. The seas were rough, and there were several people that got sick during the crossing. I enjoyed it though,
Setting Sail...
We rafted our kayaks together and sailed into the beach where we were camping for the night. getting to cruise through the Marlborough Sounds and the Cook Straight on up into Welling ton Harbor. I said my goodbye’s to the South island, and turned my focus to new and uncharted territory- the North Isla
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Ryanne
non-member comment
OK - not quite the same...
This looks incredible! I'll have to concede that it might - just might - surpass the crazy fun of our kayaking adventure in the South Carolina marshes last summer. Ha! :) Your pictures are amazing and, as always, I am enjoying seeing the world through you!